Shewula Mountain Camp

There's nothing quite like watching an African sunset from the top of a mountain as the sun drapes the Swazi lowveld in colour, all the while looking over the Mbuluzi and Mlawula Nature Reserves, which merge with Hlane Royal National Park to create the Lubombo Conservancy.

Shewula Mountain Camp, an off-the-grid community-owned and run tourist camp is set high up in the Lubombo mountain range Northeast of Swaziland, close to the border of Mozambique. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the ocean.

37km northeast of Simunye (21 km on tarred road and 16 km on gravel) through a typical Swazi village, Shewula is a bit off the beaten track, but that makes arriving all the more special. It's authentic, rural Swaziland, unfettered by modern concerns.

Mimicking a traditional homestead, accommodation is pretty basic - you can camp or there are furnished rondavels with shared ablutions (two have en-suite bathrooms) and a fully equipped kitchen for self-catering, while delicious Swazi fare can be catered on request.

There's paraffin lanterns and candles instead of electricity, and gas stoves, refrigerators and geysers so you'll have all the comforts of cold beer, hot water and flush toilets.

Shewula is a model for sustainable and responsible tourism in Swaziland, and by staying there you'll be supporting the community, since profits from the camp go straight back into community development.

Guests can enjoy cultural tours, drink homemade beer, mountain bike the area, or enjoy various guided hikes or game drives in the neighbouring reserves, with the chance to spot lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest and a variety of antelope and zebra. You might even enjoy a rare sighting of Samango monkeys or leopards.

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